Carpet-holder



H. THAYER; CARPET HOLDER. Patent edApr. 6, 1858.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

H. THAYER, OF WARSAW, NEW YORK.

CARPET-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 19,882, dated April 6, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE THAYER, of the town of Warsaw, in the county of Wyoming and State of New York, have Inv'ented a new and Improved Instrument which I call the Improved Carpet-Holder; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in making a carpet-holder which is driven into holes bored in the floor to hold down carpets firmly with a clasp and spur at the top of said'fastener, thus dispensing with the use of nails.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I construct my carpet holder (except the spiral spring) of cast iron made malleable, of cast or sheet brass, of zinc cast in molds of sheet iron or of any other metal of suflicient hardness and strength. I prefer, however, to make the tube A of zinc cast in molds, and solder on the top of its cap a covering of tin; and make the slide B with its clasp and shank of malleable cast iron. The spiral spring C, is made of steel or of brass spring-wire bent around a spindle.

The instrument is composed of four separate parts put together.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of all its parts together and complete. A is the tube with a cap at its upper end which projects over it in front forming a partial flange and prevents it from sinking below the surface when driven into the floor. B is the slide in an elevated position, which is bent at right angles over the top of the cap on tube A, forming a clasp with a spur on its under side. Said slide turns inwardly also underneath said cap through a slot in the back side of tube A, to the center of said tube where it turns downwardly and its shape becomes round, and extends some distance below the lower end of said tube. This portion of the instrument I term a slide with a clasp at its upper end, and a shank at its lower end. The shank is much smaller than the hollow in tube A, so that there is space enough to slip the spiral spring 0 over the shank which just fills the space between it and the inner side of said tube A. At the lower end of the shank is the nut D,

which is either screwed or riveted to the shank, thus forming a flange or shoulder'for the lower end of the spiral spring 0, to rest on which holds the instrument together, thereby gaining the power of the spring to draw down the clasp (represented by 6 Fig. 2) which together with the spur holds the carpet firmly. v

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section with the clasp raised. a, a are the two sides of the tube. 6 is the cap at the top of the tube forming a partial flange. c is a hole drilled into the top of the cap to receive the spur when the clasp is sprung down. cl is the spur on the under side of the clasp. c is the clasp. f, is the slide. 9, is a shoulder cut in the inner side of the slide, 7, near its base which shoulder sits on the top of the 'cap I), to hold up the clasp 6, when it' is raised.

When the operator has stretched his carpet under the clasp and desires to spring it down he has only to touch the front of the clasp 6, with the thumb and press it lightly backward which will throw the shoulder g, in the slide 7, off the top of the cap I), while the spring 70, k, (which is drawn up) presses down upon the nut Z, on the lower end of the shank j, and throws it down with great force; thus carrying down the clasp e, at the upper end, and piercing the spur d, on the under side of said clasp through the carpet with the hole 0, holding it tightly. The dotted line h, represents the shoulders on which the upper end of the spring Z: is rests to prevent its being drawn farther into the tube when the clasp e is raised. 2', is the slot in the back side of tube a, a, through which the slide f, plays. The line m, m, represents the surface of the floor when the instrument is driven into its place.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section substantially the same as Fig. 2 with the clasp 6-, sprung down instead of being raised, as in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross section of the instrument on the line 8, s, Fig. 3. h h are the two shoulders on which the spring rests on the inner side of tube a, a, which shoulders may be made in the shape here represented or may run entirely around said tube. f is the slide standing in the slot 2' which slot runs from the top of the cap b, downwardly about three fourths the length of-the tube a, a, (see Fig. 2).

Fig. 5 represents a carpet stretched and fastened with the carpet-holder. e, e, e, are the clasps of three carpet-holders as they appear when they are in use. 6, f, are the clasp and slide of a carpet holder as they are seen above the carpet when the clasp is raised.

Fig. 6 is a tool used in raising the clasp e. The tool is forced under the clasp with the right hand and the thumb placed upon the top of the clasp, and as the hand is raised it should be drawn lightly toward the operator which will throw the shoulder g, in the slide f, over the top of the cap 6, and hold it 15 up as long'as desired.

structed and operated substantially as described.

' HORACE THAYER.

NVitnesses HUMPHREY PH LPs, HENRY M. RYAN. 

